Читать книгу Iron Peggy - Marie Clements - Страница 9

There is a single bed and a side table, a small desk and chair. The ceiling seems to go up forever. It is old and rich in a bleak, scary sort of way. PEG drags the chair and props it up under the doorknob to make sure nobody can get in from the outside. She sits on the bed, finally relaxing.

PEG smells the letter. It smells like her grandmother – and then suddenly GRANDMOTHER is there, sitting behind her, just to the right of PEG – a SHADOW. PEG reads her grandmother’s letter and we hear GRANDMOTHER’s voice speaking in Hindi. PEG speaks English as she reads.

GRANDMOTHER

(in Hindi) Beti main tumhare barey main hi soch rahi thi. Aisa lagta hai ki barson beet gaye, tumhara sundar sa chehra dekhe. Tumhari Maa bilkul tumhare jaisi dikhati thi, jab woh tumhari umar ki thi.

PEG

Granddaughter, I am thinking of you now. It seems so long since I have seen your beautiful face. You look so much like your mother when she was your age.

GRANDMOTHER laughs like a stream.

GRANDMOTHER

(in Hindi) Tumhari ankhein or tumhara saaf dil bilkul tumhari Ma jaisa hai. Kaash ki woh is waqt humaare saath hoti. Lekin hamien himmat banaaye rakni hai.

PEG

Yes. You have her eyes and her good heart. I wish she was with us. But we have to be strong. Yes?

GRANDMOTHER

(in Hindi) In garmiyon ki chuttiyon main main shayad tumse milne aaungi. Tumhaara hasmukh chehra dekhane ka bahut mann ho raka hai. Temhaari yeh buddhi naani hawaai jahaajh pe baith ke aayegi. Mujhe pura yakeen hai ki tum apni nayi paathshala main khoob mun laga ke padh rahi hogi or aagey badh rahi hogi. Mai jaanti hun ki tumhare liye apne pariwaar se dur rehna mushkil ho raha hoga. Lekin main tumhien har roz yaad karti hoon or bohot pyaar karti hoon. Tumhari Nani-ma.

PEG

I am thinking I might come and see your funny face this summer. This old grandmother getting on a plane! I know you must be getting really smart at your new school. It must be a shock to be living apart from your family. But I think of you every day and love you as always. Love, your grandmother. Write to me soon.

PEG places the letter on the bed. She goes to the desk and takes out a piece of paper and grabs a pen. She sits back down and begins to write.

PEG

Dear Grandmother, I hate it here. Can you come and get me please? Everybody hates me. Everybody hates me … please come and get me. Grandmother, please. Dad doesn’t come visit me. He is gone too. Working. Mom is … dead. Please, Grandmother … please come and get me, please.

PEG begins to cry, finally letting it out.

I can’t take it anymore … There are these girls. Three girls who follow me everywhere. They think they are so smart. They think they are so pretty. So IT. They hate me. They hate me for being me … Please, Grandmother … Please come now … I can’t take it anymore. I can’t take it anymore …

GRANDMOTHER puts her hand on PEG’s shoulder. PEG feels it.

PEG

Grandmother? Grandmother, please.

GRANDMOTHER begins to walk away from PEG. She stops when she thears PEG’s voice, and takes out the letter Peg sent her in response and reads it, as PEG gives voice to it.

PEG

(in Hindi) Namaste Nani-Ma. Khat likhne ke liye dhanayavad. Main apko bahut yaad karti hoon. Mera bhi aapse milne ka bahot mun hai. Yahan sab theek hai. Bahut kuch seekhane ko mil raha hai. Meri pathshala bahut achi hai. Aap mujhpar garv mehsoos karoge. Main aapse bahut pyaar karti hoon. P.S. Mujhe garmiyon me aapse milne ka bahut mun ho raha hai. Bahut bahut pyaar. Aapki pouti, Peg.

PEG

Hello Grandmother. Thank you for your letter. I miss you so much. I can’t wait to see you. Everything is good here. I am learning a lot. It is a very good school. I will make you proud. I love you. P.S. I can’t wait to see you this summer. Love you so much. Love, your granddaughter, Peg.

The SHADOW OF GRANDMOTHER puts the letter away with shaking hands – she knows her granddaughter is lying.